|
|
|
Hindustani Raga Music - Future Responsibilities
ITC-SRA Seminar, 29 & 30 August 2006
Panelists
|
|
|
|
| |
 |
Amit Mukerjee
Amit Mukerjee represents the famous tradition of the Kirana
gharana and Ustad Amir Khan's individualistic school of khayal
singing. He was trained under Shri Shankar Mazumdar, a senior
disciple of the Late Ustad. Shri Mukerjee has been a geologist
by profession but has also had a successful record of
performances and lecture-demonstrations in India, Europe and the
US. At present, Shri Mukerjee is the Executive Director of the
ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Kolkata. With a combination of
conceptual clarity coupled with excellent teamwork, he was able
to inspire and contribute significantly to the development of
the ITC SRA website in 2001.
|
|
|
|
 |
Ashwini Bhide Deshpande
One of the foremost vocalists of India now, Ashwini Bhide
Deshpande began her training at the age of five, under the
guidance of Pandit Narayanrao Datar. Later, she received
extensive talim from her mother Smt Manik Bhide. Ashwini has
inherited all that was best in her mother's style and has been
able to add a lot to her repertoire with great sensitivity and
intellect, making every concert an aesthetically pleasing
experience. Presently, she is receiving guidance from Pandit
Ratnakar Pai, the veteran of the Jaipur gharana. She belongs to
the rare category of "thinking musicians" and is well known for
her oratory skills. |
 |
Anuja Chakravarty
A Post Graduate in Sanskrit Philosophy from Delhi University,
Anuja Chakravarty has been with the Indian Council for Cultural
Relations since 1987 and is currently the Regional Director in
Kolkata. She has trained in Indian Classical music from
Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, Delhi and also has a diploma in German
language. She has been nominated on the Advisory Board of SPIC
MACAY, Kolkata chapter. |
 |
Bikram Ghosh
As a percussionist, Bikram Ghosh figures prominently amongst the
best in the world today. The worthy son and disciple of tabla
maestro Pandit Shankar Ghosh, Bikram has also studied Carnatic
taal systems under the eminent mridangam exponent, Shri S Sekhar.
Equally at ease in both Hindustani and Carnatic concerts, he has
collaborated with many pop, jazz and western classical artistes
too. Rhythmscape, his maiden project as a composer, showcases
the fertile imagination of this brilliant artiste. Bikram is
known for his oratory skills and is a fluent speaker on various
topics on music. |
 |
Buddhadev Das Gupta
Buddhadev Das Gupta is the senior most exponent of one of the
most authentic sarode gharanas today. He received rigorous
training from the sarode maestro, Sangeetacharya Radhika Mohan
Maitra for nearly 40 years. A veteran performer at all the major
festivals for over five decades, he has been honoured with many
awards including the Sangeet Natak Academy Award and ITC Award.
He has done considerable research work on sarode and music in
general, and is known for his lucid articles and lectures. At
present, he is attached to the ITC Sangeet Research Academy as a
Guru of the instrumental division and is also a member of its
Experts Committee. |
 |
Dipali Nag
This grand old lady of Hindustani music has been well known in
the music world for more than six decades now. Her activities
have ranged from being a concert performer, teacher, writer,
orator to being an advisor to the Scientific Research
Department, ITC Sangeet Research Academy. She has been fortunate
to have received extensive talim from three doyens of the Agra
gharana namely, Ustad Tassaduq Hussain Khan, Ustad Fayyaz Khan
and Ustad Bashir Khan. In addition, she has a diploma on voice
from the Trinity College, London. She has featured regularly at
seminars all over the world. With considerable command over
several languages, she has authored a book on Ustad Fayyaz Khan
and has written numerous articles on music. |
 |
Falguni Mitra
A foremost vocalist of the country, Falguni Mitra is well versed
in various classical and semi-classical forms of Hindustani
music, but has chosen to specialize in the field of alaap,
dhrupad and dhamar. From a very tender age, he trained under his
father, Pandit Shib Mitra, a worthy disciple of Pandit Bholanath
Pathak, the doyen of the Betia gharana. He is an educated and
thoughtful musician who is eager to spread the message of our
great heritage amongst music lovers. He has been honoured with
various awards and titles including ‘Dhrupad Ratna’. He is
currently associated with ITC Sangeet Research Academy as Guru
and Prefect. |
 |
Geeta Sahai
Having vast experience as a freelance writer, documentary
film-maker& a Radio professional, Geeta Sahai is presently the
Programme Director of Radio Gandharv— a 24-hr Hindustani
Classical music channel on Worldspace Satellite Radio. She is
deeply grounded in the arena of media and art, and has written
extensively on media & culture for various national dailies and
was Art Critic for The Financial Express, Editor, (Expressions
Page) Newslead (daily). She has worked with television channels
and has made documentaries on various social issues. Her tryst
with Radio and music started with AIR in 1984. This opened up
the possibilities of using the twin functions of radio as an
agent of social change and entertainment medium.
As the Programme Director of HMV-SAREGAMA(1999-2002), she was
involved in selection, creation and production of an array of
musical shows relating to different genres and catering to
different listenership. She has produced a commissioned series
on RAAG SAMPADA for AIR, Delhi on stalwarts of Hindustani
Classical music.
She also presents programmes on Radio Gandharv like Face to Face
(interview with maestros), Gandharv Sabha (musical journey of
doyens of Hindustani Shastriya Sangeet) and Theme Hour (feature
on issues relating to Classical music).
She is also guest faculty for Radio at School of Convergence,
JIMS and Kamala Nehru College. |
 |
Girija Devi
Girija Devi, the prima donna of the Benaras tradition, has an
amazing proficiency in all the vocal forms of Northern India -
Khayal, Thumri, Dadra, Tappa, Kajri, Hori, Chaiti and Bhajan.
She was initiated into music by Pandit Sarju Prasad Mishra and
later on trained by Pandit Shree Chandra Mishra. For fifty-five
years, she has been performing in public, with unsurpassable
agility. There is not a dais left in the country and abroad
where she has not regaled audiences. A Padmashree and the
Sangeet Natak Akademi awardee, she has been a Guru for over a
decade at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy. |
 |
Mala Mukherjee
An M Phil in Regional Development from Jawaharlal Nehru
University, Mala Mukerjee has been involved in Career
Counselling and Guidance with The Institute for Career Studies,
Lucknow for the last 15 years and is in constant touch with
major schools of the country. The scope of her work has also
included Teachers’ Training, Personality Development programmes
and Parents’ Counselling. She has been a research associate with
the Indian Institute of Mangement and Institute of Management
Development in Lucknow. She has also participated in global
experience sharing on Community Participation in London and
Bangladesh. |
 |
Purbayan Chatterjee
Acclaimed as a promising young sitariya, Purbayan Chatterjee is
a perfomer of remarkable merit. He began his musical tutelage
under his father Parthapratim Chatterjee, a disciple of two of
the stalwarts of the Seni-Maihar Gharana – Pandit Nikhil
Banerjee and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. For the last few years,
Purbayan has also been receiving taalim from Khansahib. He has
performed in major music conferences in India and has traveled
far and wide, featuring in prestigious international festivals.
He has of late been experimenting with several genres of music -
both within the traditions of Indian Classical music and also
crossovers to other types of music. |
 |
Ranjan Mitter
Ranjan Mitter is the Principal of The Future Foundation School,
Kolkata. He has been a member of the ICSE Standing Committee on
Examinations for four years and a faculty member of the
Management Centre for Human values at the IIM, Calcutta. He has
designed courses on Business Ethics and led training initiatives
for NGO managers and programme leaders. He is closely associated
with the Fair Trade Movement and was a member of the “Corporate
Social Responsibility Sub-Committee” of the Bengal Chamber of
Commerce and Industry in 2003 and 2004. Last but not the least,
he has now also been appointed Member of the Regional Advisory
Committee of the ICCR. |
 |
Ratnottama Sengupta
Brought up in a family of writers, filmmakers, cinematographers,
musicians, dancers and artists, Ratnottama Sengupta did her
masters in English and American Literature and has been writing
for newspapers and journals; participating in discussions on the
electronic media; teaching mass communication students and
curating art exhibitions. She is the daughter of Nabendu Ghosh,
a leading name in Bengali literature. She has written on Hindi
films for the Encyclopedia Britannica; served on the National
Film Awards jury and has won a National award herself. Widely
traveled through Europe, Asia and Australia, she is currently
the Arts Editor with The Times of India. |
 |
Sanjoy Bandopadhyay
Sanjoy Bandopadhyay is a well known sitar player and presently
the Chair-Professor at the Department of Instrumental Music of
Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata. After his initial training
from his father Shri Peeyush Prasanna Bandopadhyay he received
talim under Sangeetacharya Radhika Mohan Maitra, and Pandit
Bimalendu Mukherjee. He has also received guidance from Pandit
Manas Chakravarty, Pandit Ajoy Sinha Roy and Dr. M. R. Gautam.
Besides recitals, his academic participation includes his
presentations at numerous seminars all over the world. |
 |
Dr. Suvarnalata Rao
Dr. Suvarnalata Rao is a senior disciple of the sitar maestro
Pandit Arvind Parikh. She obtained a Ph. D in music from the
S.N.D.T Women’s University and is now a Research Scientist and
Coordinator for Music Programs at the NCPA, Mumbai. She has been
a senior visiting fellow at the International Institute for
Asian Studies and the University of Amsterdam and Rotterdam
Conservatory of Music in the Netherlands. Her publications
include ‘Acoustical Perspective on Raga-Rasa Theory’ and ‘Raga
Guide’, an audio-literary production by the Nimbus Records, U.
K. Since 2000, she has been editing the monographs based on the
proceedings of ITC-SRA annual seminars held in Mumbai. |
 |
S Sekhar
S. Sekhar, the renowned mridangam player from Calcutta started
learning at the early age of six from the respected late L V
Vaidyanathan. It will not be out of place to say that he has
single-handedly kept alive the best Carnatic percussive
traditions in Calcutta. His influence has been such that even
many tabla players find it mandatory to train under him. A
widely-traveled artiste, he has accompanied most of the
prominent musicians from the south and is extremely well known
for his keen musicianship in North-South jugalbandhis as well as
indo-western concerts. Many awards including the ‘Isai
Peraringar’ and the ‘Jadu Bhatta’ award have come his way. |
 |
Shankar Ghosh
Shankar Ghosh has regaled audiences all over the world with his
unique ‘baaj’ of tabla for more than four decades. His chief
mentor was Padmabhushan Jnan Prakash Ghosh. His other teachers
include Ustad Feroz Khan, Pandit Anath Nath Bose and Pandit
Sudarshan Adhikari. Besides countless concerts with maestros of
Hindustani music, he has made a mark for himself as a soloist
and has also worked with many legends of western music. One of
his most important forays into experimental music has been the
Music of the Drums. He is acclaimed as a great Guru who has
produced performers of high caliber. Last but not the least, he
is an eloquent speaker and constantly features in various
workshops, lecture-demonstrations and seminars. |
 |
Satish Vyas
Renowned santoor exponent, Satish Vyas was blessed with a
formidable musical background and training, thanks to both his
father Pandit C R Vyas and his guru, Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma.
Together with being a highly acclaimed musician all over the
world, he is equally successful as a significant organizer of
classical music festivals and as Artistic Director of Navras
Records in India. He has a number of recordings to his credit
with many international labels. The Government of India has
honoured him with Padmashree in 2003. |
 |
Susmita Chakrabarthy
Susmita Chakrabarthy is a post-graduate in English Literature
from the Calcutta University. She has been teaching in La
Martinere for Boys for the last thirteen years and has a great
interest in the performing arts. She has been a part of a
theatre group and has participated in many workshops. Moreover,
she has learnt ballet and tap dance and has a great interest in
various dance forms especially Kathak, Odissi, Latino dance and
Jazz. |
 |
Tanmoy Bose
Tanmoy Bose was exposed to the subtle nuances of music and
rhythm since childhood. He mastered the art of tabla playing
under the guidance of late Kanai Dutta and Pandit Shankar Ghosh.
In addition, he received vocal talim from Shri Maharaj Banerjee
and learnt harmonium from late Montu Banerjee. Aided by this
supportive knowledge of different kinds of music, Tanmoy has
developed a balanced technique which does not restrain itself
within the framework of any gharana or school. He has carved a
niche for himself among the top ranking musicians of the country
as a highly sought after tabla accompanist and a soloist. He has
also made a mark with his ventures in experimental music. |
 |
Vijay Kumar Kichlu
An erudite musician and a very fluent speaker, Vijay Kichlu is a
well known name in musicological circles. His initial training
in music commenced at the tender age of 7 with Pandit Nathuram
Sharma. While in college at Varanasi, he became the disciple of
the senior Dagar brothers and Ustad Latafat Hussain Khan. With
an impressive record of performances all over the world, he was
at the helm of the ITC Sangeet Research Academy since its
inception till 2001. Recently, he has formed Sangeet Ashram that
aims at the propagation of Hindustani Raag Sangeet. |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
Seminar
Reports |
| |
|
Back to
Seminar and Workshops |
| |
|
|
